


A Little Unlawful

by thefairyquill



Category: Love Live! School Idol Project
Genre: Alternate Universe - Victorian, F/F, Love Live! Thief Idol Festival, did you ever want an oceans 11 type heist feat all of u's, well here it is
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-10
Updated: 2017-03-10
Packaged: 2018-10-02 08:46:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,352
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10213856
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thefairyquill/pseuds/thefairyquill
Summary: Honoka has been part of a small group of… entertainers for many years now, and wants Umi to get in on the fun. Umi, however, has absolutely no intentions of doing so. But Honoka is sure she has her best interests at heart.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for the 2016 Love Live Big Bang, where I was partnered up with the amazing @yuyurialyusia on tumblr, who drew beautiful artwork to go with it: http://yuyurialyusia.tumblr.com/post/152576608825/late-late-but-here-we-go-these-pics-are-for-my  
> The original post here: http://thefairyquill.tumblr.com/post/152555171952/a-little-unlawful  
> I hope you enjoy this ballroom fiasco!

A red, velvet rope pressing against the side of her dress. Marble tiles reflecting white moonlight. Crimson awning, fluttering slightly in the breeze, yellow lamplight reflecting off of the two gold poles holding it up. The clacking of heels on stone. Sounds of laughter, music and chatter. The rustle of pages.

The Sonoda Casino was exactly as fancy as Honoka had made it out to be- perhaps even a little bit more, Kotori thought. 

The guard continued to look through the pages and pages of guests invited to the ball, gloved fingers flipping through the booklet, and she caught a few glimpses of ‘f’s and ‘g’s. “Miss Misaki, Miss Misaki, Miss Misaki,” he muttered under his breath, wispy moustache fluttering. 

Kotori glanced behind her, at the long queues of guests, one per guard; Honoka and the others were all scattered about here and there. She sighed. So far, everything was going to plan- it was exactly as they had discussed beforehand: everyone is standing in different queues, no interaction between them, ready to infiltrate the ball.

_“Harasho,” Eli had said in one of their meetings. “For all this to work, we are not allowed to talk to each other on friendly terms until after our… small joke. And if we have to talk, do so curtly and politely. No inside jokes, and no familiarity.” She glared at Nozomi, Honoka and Rin in particular._

_Honoka and Rin had fidgeted nervously under her eye, but Nozomi (always the cool headed teaser) stood up straight, smiling. “No parfaits, I assume?” She asked innocently._

_Eli had blushed a deep scarlet, which was at odds with her almost cold eyes, but her face was set; “N-No parfaits to speak of.”_

Kotori had to restrain a yawn as the guard continued to scan page after page of guests for her name. She did notice that he looked up at her every few seconds, and how his eyes immediately looked away and his face turned red the minute she looked at him. Poor fellow, she thought sympathetically. Not only did he have a half-formed moustache with no bushy-ness or bravado, but he also found her (her!), an undercover fugitive, attractive. 

She breathed in the chilly night air, and watched a few clouds lazily drag themselves across the inky sky. The half moon shone its pale light onto the cobblestones below, making everything starker, paler, gaunter. The guard let out a hurried puff of air, anxiously looking at her as he shuffled through his list.

The cards certainly weren't in his favour tonight.

_“Rin gets how we're going to act at the ball, but what about our nyames?”  
Eli considered this for a second, before exchanging a glance with Honoka and Nozomi in turn. _

_“Fake ones,” they said in unison._

So tonight, for a one time show only, Kotori Minami was Nami Misaki, a rather rich young lady, who's well-respected merchant (most certainly not a tailor) father was going to leave her a large (most certainly not small and modest) inheritance. The guard finally found ‘Misaki’ and undid the velvet rope clumsily, gesturing for her to walk through the hallway behind him.

“H-H-Have a good evening, Miss Misaki,” he stuttered, face red even in the moonlight. 

“Thank you sir, of course. And you as well.” 

Unfortunately for the guard, however, Miss Misaki would make this evening a little more… interesting than he would like. 

The long white marble steps of the entrance to the Casino led to a pair of rich, mahogany doors, usually tightly shut and bolted, but tonight they were wide open and leading to a small, well-lit corridor. Kotori looked up at the fine wallpaper with gold embossing; she quite liked the colour scheme- a very deep, inky blue matched with white flowers. 

Further down the corridor, another doorway, through which light and sounds poured through, siphoning into the quieter area like sand through a sieve. 

The first thing she noticed was the stifling hotness inside the large chamber, followed closely by the smell of wax, mingling perfumes and sweat. Kotori almost gagged, but walked through the brightly lit inner doorway regardless. She had to, if just for tonight. Tonight was special. 

_“Well, don't keep a lady waiting! Nico-ni only has so much time to spare- why are we going to the Sonoda Casino?” Nico had demanded impatiently._

__

__

_“What are you, a spoiled child?” Maki retorted. “Cannot wait for five minutes so Honoka can gather her thoughts? Very lady like indeed.”_

_Before things could escalate, Honoka cleared her throat, wringing her hands in front of her nervously. “Well…” She trailed off for a few seconds. “I was thinking of maybe adding a ninth member to our group?”_

_She had been met with astonished silence._

A ninth member… Kotori had never imagined there being eight, let alone nine. At the very beginning, it was just the two of them- Honoka and Kotori, playing small tricks for the amusement of the guests during dinner. 

She wasn't sure when it was that it began to get bigger and gain more attention- maybe it was after Rin and Hanayo had joined, and they had sneaked into the big Christmas Ball, setting off bangers under the Christmas tree when the clock struck 12? Or perhaps it was after Nico and Nozomi, when they briefly stole all of the guests rings without them noticing, and then announced that they had done it and made a show of giving them back? Or was it after Maki joined, and they had hooked up a jack-in-the-box to a grand piano and watched the results?

Of course, Kotori looked back on all of this fondly, even though it did make her get in trouble with the policemen and kind of, sort of, accidentally and unintentionally become a criminal on the run from the law. All in good fun, she reasoned. But their little group- u’s, they called it- felt… lacking, in ways. Everything they did was interesting and it spiced things up, but… 

The hall was set up exactly as Honoka had said- raised platform for the bandstand at the back, along with tables for card players, space cleared in the middle for the dance floor, long tables shrouded in white cloths on the right, laden with food and drink, tables to sit down and talk on the left, with waiters and waitresses darting in between. Kotori slowly and carefully made her way to the drinks table, setting up the very beginning of their plan.

She always prided herself on being a woman that could handle her drinks better than any seasoned sailor.

_“Kotori, how many shots of whiskey can you take before getting even a little bit tipsy?” Honoka had inquired with great interest._

__

__

_“Oh, not too many, I'm definitely less experienced than most! I think I'd still be able to talk alright after the fifteenth one,” She had answered brightly._

_“Fif-fifteen?!” Hanayo had gasped. “That's-that's amazing, Kotori!”_

_“Thank you, but it's not a very ladylike quality of mine, unfortunately. I'm sure we could use some other talent of mine in this-”_

_“Actually, I think that would work brilliantly,” Eli interjected. “Just take one or two shots, or a glass of wine, pretend to be drunk and ask her for a dance.”_

_A few heartbeats of dead silence._

_“Trust Elichi to think up a devious plan like this one,” Nozomi grinned._

So, getting ‘pretend-drunk off of two glasses of white wine’ was the next thing on Nami Misaski’s agenda tonight. Kotori grimaced inwardly; while she was all for the second part of her plan, getting wasted because of just two glasses was an awful idea. She had her pride, after all. But drinking more than two glasses would seem suspicious, and definitely not cute. But drinking just two would make her look like a laughable light-weight. 

Well, whatever. The fun part of this plan would definitely make up for the embarrassment of the first part. 

_“I, um, have a question,” Hanayo had said nervously. “What are we going to do in order to scout a new member?”_

__

__

_Honoka grinned deviously, and there was a collective shudder around the small group. “The plan,” she declared smugly, “is simple. And it begins with Maki’s piano playing skills.”_

The raised bandstand at the end of the hall was filled with many musicians, playing instruments ranging in size from tiny, almost squeaky trumpets to the enormous fortepiano, behind which sat someone with vividly red hair.

Miyoko Ueda played exceptionally well for someone whom nobody seemed to have heard of before, and no one could really complain about it. After all, the alternative was finding a decent piano player at almost 10 in the evening. Miyoko knew what she was doing, and from the way her fingers flew across the keys, even an amateur could recognise her talents. 

The song that came from her piano was perfect- lilting and smooth at times, harsh and quick at others, she knew the score better than even perhaps the one who wrote it- each flick of the wrist was disciplined, angled, and perfectly on time. A master at work. It was just like the host to hire only the best of the best, after all. 

_“W-what do my piano skills have to do with anything?” Maki asked, twirling a lock of hair around her finger nervously._

__

__

_Honoka grinned even wider, and everyone subconsciously took a step back. Honoka’s plans always tended to be a little… explosive._

_“Well, you're the best one with time management here, so you're in charge of giving the cues for each part of the plan!” She said triumphantly. “You'll give the cues by… Missing a key when playing on the piano!”_

_Maki looked horrified. “Absolutely not!” She said angrily._

To the surprise of many musicians, Miss Ueda missed a key when starting the next part of the piano piece.

She grit her teeth and continued on playing, as most guests had not noticed her mistake, bar perhaps one lady with eyes like candlelit rubies.

She made her way to the back of the hall, walking with purpose and pride, the gait of someone from the upper reaches of society. The crowd almost unintentionally parted before her, because that was the kind of presence she commanded- one of utmost importance, the airs of a person whom you need to respect.

Naomi Kato strode to the round tables beside the tall glass windows and french doors that led to the garden of the Casino. During the summer, those doors would be open all day, allowing games of croquet and garden parties to take place- now however, they merely offered a view of the wilting blossoms and skeletal trees. 

There were five or so of these tables, and she instantly saw the one where she need to be.

_“So Maki will miss a key, and then you come in, Nico!” Honoka said enthusiastically, almost vibrating with the excitement of revealing the next step of the plan._

__

__

_“Aha!” Nico exclaimed, “And then I will charm your friend into joining our little group- indeed, it is a perfect plan for someone of my abilities-”_

_“Well…” Eli began. “Not quite, Nico.”_

_Maki snickered as Nico’s face fell._

“Can I join you for a game, gentlemen?” 

The four men looked up in surprise, and then lowered their gaze considerably. The lady in front of them wore a pale pink gown, dark hair tied up with two white ribbons- they chuckled heartily. “Are you lost, sweetheart?” One of the men asked. “We could call a maid to help you find your mother.” More laughter.

Nico repressed the urge to violently whack them with her fan.

_“I don't do mathematics! I don't even know how to play goldfish, let alone poker!” Nico cried in desperation. “The great Nico Yazawa would much rather play to her strengths and-”_

_“But you are playing to your strengths, Nicochi,” Nozomi said gently. “Your goal is to distract the host and the other players with your charm and personality, so that we can do the boring stuff. And how would anyone not get distracted by someone as cute as you?”_

_“...Continue.”_

“No need, good sirs. However, you accidentally showed me your hand just now- I could tell this whole company which cards you have if you continue to insult me, sir. But I could just as easily be a valuable asset if you allow me to join.”

The host froze, glancing at the large pile of chips at the end of the table, and licked his lips. The three other men eyed the lady with great interest. He cleared his throat. “Of course, madam, apologies. Please take a seat.”

A waitress with flaxen hair passed by a nearby table, offering small sandwiches on a golden platter.

_“And then…” Honoka turned to face Hanayo, who gulped and braced herself to hear the worst news of her life._

_“We thought Hanayo and Rin would work well as a waitress duo,” Eli stated happily._

The short waitress curtsied, leaving the table and walking towards the front of the hall again, casually glancing at the large grandfather clock that towered over everyone on a raised pedestal. Heather coloured eyes swept across the room, meeting the gaze of another waitress.

The other waitress grinned, tucking a strand of short ginger hair behind her ear.

_“Rin is really excited,” The girl said, eyes bright. “Let's do our best, Kayo-chin!”_

_Hanayo looked faint. “A-A maid… Duo? A m-maid...outfit? In front of hundreds of people…?”_

_Honoka nodded vigorously. “You'll look great! And I'm sure you can do it, you just need to remove the oil in the lamps when Maki gives the signal!”_

_“There’s oil in the lamps?” Rin asked._

It was ten past ten, and a lady in an azure dress wandered into the hall cautiously, keeping her posture straight and a smile on her face. She was not someone anyone recognised, but that was hardly surprising- Anastasia Vasilivna had only arrived in London yesterday, after taking a two week cruise from Russia.

Although her English was understandable and her vocabulary was impressive, most articles were forgotten and all ‘w’s were replaced with ‘v’s. However, she understood everything everyone said perfectly- but they had no need to know that.

_“H-Harasho,” Eli mumbled. “But maybe there is another way? I don't think anyone would be convinced by an accent and a few words-”_

_Honoka shook her head, holding up a hand. “You're putting too much thought into this! If I were to speak Latin and call myself an Italian, of course I would be found out like really fast, but you actually speak Russian! It'll be a cinch!”_

_“W-Well I do speak a little bit, but only conversational Russian, and if anyone asks about the politics back home-”_

_“You're stressing too much, Eli. You've already been to many social gatherings here, and you've had loads of practice with public speaking- have some faith and confidence in yourself.” Maki gave a rare smile._

_Eli sighed. “Thank you, Maki- but what about Nozomi then?”_

A wide brimmed violet hat clutched in her hand, Yuuko Nakajima was quiet and graceful, carefully avoiding all contact with other people by tactfully checking her cards each time someone walked nearby. Her turquoise eyes were calm, and she kept her expression completely neutral.

She was just another ball-goer, one that happened to have several seals, a paintbrush, a bottle of ink, eight blank scrolls, three packs of tarot cards and half a kilogram of salt hidden all over her persona. 

Nothing unusual, surely.

_“Um, Honoka?” Kotori asked. Honoka paused, not quite looking up from a detailed map of the Sonoda Casino. “Yeaaah?” She asked, completely throwing all lady-like manners of speaking out the window. She took another bite of a pastry._

_“Honoka, what will you be doing?” Kotori tore off a bit of her pastry wrapper, shaping the paper with her fingers._

_“Mmmothing much,” she said through a mouthful of pastry, dragging her finger along the map. “Jus tryna convince Umi ta join before… drasic meashures.”_

_Kotori nodded, chewing slowly. “What if it works?” She asked after a while._

_Honoka swallowed and giggled. “Trust me Kotori, it won't. But, it's worth a try!”_

“Honoka, please don't start this again- this is an official ball gathering and I-”

“Umiiiii, give it a chance! It's so fun, and-” 

“No, absolutely not, I am a lady, not a- a-”

Umi Sonoda struggled with her words for a few moments. Her deep ink dress has no creases, in contrast to her brow. She struggled to keep her voice down. 

“Honoka, I'm not the type of person to go sneaking around, causing trouble! My father has a business to run, and I-”

“He doesn't have to know! Look you're always inside, reading, practising archery when no one is looking, doing traditional dance- it's stressful! And I think you should maybe lighten up and have some fun every once in a while, instead of being cooped up like this! Isn't it boooooring?” 

Honoka looked at the brown eyed girl imploringly, making puppy eyes. 

Umi hesitated, then shook her head firmly. “No, no, no, no, and for the hundredth time Honoka, no! I have a lot going on, what with suitors and studying-”

“Suitors?” Honoka asked, confused. Umi winced at the word. 

“I just- I'm sorry Honoka, I appreciate your concern, but shenanigans just… are not for me.” 

“Oh. Well, alright, if you insist. What's this about suitors though? Umi, are you-?”

“Getting married? Heavens, no.” Umi sighed uncomfortably. “At least, not yet.” 

_“Alright, so this is the most tricky and important part-” Honoka placed her finger on the part of the map showing the Cards Tables- “Nico, we're all counting on you.”_

_“But of course!” Nico smiled smugly. “They'll all be so taken with Nico’s beauty that they wouldn't notice an elephant doing the waltz!”_

_“Well, I hope so,” Eli said doubtfully. “If the host calls the guards and throws us out, we might end up in prison.”_

_Nico gulped._

“Sir, bet another chip- the man with the monocle has a two of hearts.”

“A good plan, miss, but you haven't considered Mr Hashimoto- doesn't he have an ace?”

“But one ace is no good by itself- I highly doubt he has any other card of value.”

While the host considered his hand, frustrated, Nico carefully reached for her fan, and added another splash of alcohol to his glass while she fanned herself with it. While she hadn't exactly become a poker master after a month of casually listening in at games in other Casinos, Nico was definitely good at several things- the first of which, was peeking at cards.

The second thing was reading people. 

She glanced at the two players on the other side of the table, one with harsh, grey eyes, the other with an impressive goatee. Grey Eyes had no idea what he was doing (even if he had an ace, he probably wouldn't know what to do with it, angry and cold as he may look) while Goatee, who smiled and joked a lot, could probably get away with murder and not bat an eye.

The third player, however, was decent- Nico couldn't find much to think about Monocle. Average, she supposed. 

Nico casually leaned against the host, looking at his cards with care. Now what kind of str-

She almost jumped at the sound of the smashing of piano keys.

A large number of heads turned to look at the bandstand, and so did Nico’s. Was Maki okay?

While she couldn't see her face at the angle she sat at, she could see that her playing was jerky and forceful. She was almost hunched over the piano, and the previously calm music sounded… a lot angrier than usual. What happened? 

Murmurs began as the slamming of piano keys didn't stop. Nico placed her hand on the host’s knee lightly, hoping to hoist herself up a little so she could see what was going on-

The piano screamed shrilly, and Maki’s finger flew across it's length, unable to stop and needing some outlet for her emotions.

“Ah, hello sirs!” Nico’s head turned back reluctantly at the sound of Rin’s voice over the horrible screeching piano music. The company stared at the waitress blankly. “Here, I think you've ordered some drinks? Let me place them down for you-”

Rin almost slammed down a glass of gin, making an odd movement with her elbow at Nico, who raised her eyebrows. Was this a cue for something? 

Rin placed down another glass and made the movement again. Nico looked at her, baffled. Rin smiled wanly. 

“And for you sir-” another glass, the same movement. Was this just how she placed the glasses down, or…?

“And for-” As she placed the last glass down, Rin made a swiping movement at Nico’s hand on the knee of the host. Nico moved her hand and dragged her chair away from the host to make room for Rin and the glass, but it was done at the wrong moment-

Rin lost her balance- 

Nico’s eyes widened as she realised what was about to happen-

She tried to move the hosts’ chair-

The glass fell-

And it was too late.The glass crashed onto the wooden floor, spilling its contents all over the host. Nico gasped.

There was a horrible silence that started at the table and spread like ripples across the hall. 

But then it was broken.

“What do you think you're doing?!” The host yelled, fuming.

Rin stumbled backwards, clutching the drinks tray close to her chest. “I-I am s-so-”

“How dare you?! You come along uninvited out of nowhere, with drinks that nobody ordered, and have the gall to spill them ON MY BEST SUIT?!” 

Rin tried to make herself as small as possible, almost hiding behind the tiny tray. Nico covered her mouth with her hands. This wasn't part of the plan.

“I a-a-am s-so s-s-s-sorry-”

“OH, YOU’RE SORRY, ARE YOU? WILL SORRY MEND MY SUIT? WILL SORRY REPAIR THE MILLION DOLLAR GERMAN CRYSTAL GLASS YOU JUST BROKE? WILL SORRY FIX THE BLOODY PIANIST? ANSWER ME, WRETCH!”

“N-n-no sir-”

“EXACTLY!” He roared, face red and contorted. He took a deep breath, trying to calm down, and Hanayo seemed to materialise out of thin air, patting him gently on the arm. “S-Sir,” she whispered. “Please go get changed, I will take care of this nuisance.” 

The host nodded irritably. “Excuse me,” he rumbled, before grabbing his jacket off the back of his chair and storming out of the hall. Whispers immediately began, which grew into hushed words and then the normal chatter of the hall resumed. The piano began to play again, slow and soft, and slightly apologetic.

Hanayo, one of the parlour maids of the Sonoda Casino, straightened up to her full height, glaring at the teary-eyed scullery maid in front of her. 

Nico half stood up from her seat, unsure of what to do. Surely Hanayo wasn't going to yell at Rin more after that disaster?

“Suzu Akiyama,” She began, voice quavering. “How- how could spill the gin all over our dear master?!” 

Rin looked up, chest heaving from sobs. “I'm sowwy,” She cried, nose running.

“You're a- a- a very bad maid!” Hanayo said firmly. 

Rin bawled, wiping her eyes on her fists.

“You're a- a- a-” She glanced at Nico for support. Nico shrugged exasperatedly. If anything, Hanayo was awful at insults.

“You're a maid who is… very bad at maid things!” She finished triumphantly. 

Rin giggled through her hiccups. “You're not good at scolding, Kayo-chin,” she whispered. 

Hanayo looked scandalised. “How dare you talk back to your superior! To the kitchen with you, you- you- you-” she paused, fruitlessly searching for a word bad enough. “You not good maid!” 

Rin got up, covering her face with a platter, and began to run out of the hall, with Hanayo close on her heels, yelling things like “not good maid!” And “bad at maid things!” repeatedly, not being able to come up with worse things to say. After a time, Rin was more laughing than sobbing.

Nico took in a deep breath, steadying herself. Alright Nico, she thought. You're almost there. Just a few minutes left.

_“Wait a minute- those things are all well and good, but what are our main distractions tonight?” Maki questioned._

_Eli and Honoka took one look at each other, and grinned ominously. “We're glad you asked,” Honoka answered. “Tonight, for a special one-time only performance, you'll be seeing Madame Mystique in action!” Honoka looked at Nozomi pointedly._

_Nozomi considered this for a few seconds. “Alright,” She said brightly. “But I need a volunteer to help me out.”_

_She gazed at Eli over the top of her fan._

_“No,” Eli stated._

When Maki missed a key, hardly anyone cared nor noticed, as anything was better than the screechy, hell-beast-like noises coming from the poor instrument ten minutes previously. The piano sounded sad and forlorn now, as if it was a small ship lost in the dark, colossal masses of the ocean. 

It was beginning to get late, and the final act was soon to start.

However, one lady in particular, who had just drained her third glass of white wine, heard the cue.

Kotori spotted the inky blue hair almost instantly, and began to wobble up to the daughter of the host of the party, taking care not to sprain her ankles or snag her dress on anything. She seemed to be meekly standing next to a group of old men, all laughing heartily at a joke one of them had just put forward. The girl was standing with her back to Kotori.

Right, she thought determinedly. To action.

Clumsily, she reached forward and tapped her on the shoulder. She didn't even have to pretend to blush- when the girl turned around, her surprised soft, dark honey coloured eyes were enough. “May I help you?” The girl asked cautiously.

“Yush,” Kotori pretended to slur, “You may; may I have thish dansh?” She curtsied awkwardly, before extending out her gloved hand, teetering on her feet. There was a roar of laughter behind the girl, who looked very lost and confused- unsure of what to do, mulled cider eyes darting all around. 

Without waiting too long for an answer, Kotori gently took the girl’s hand in her own, interlocking their fingers expertly. “I- ah, um-”

Tuning out the guffawing of the men in the background, she pulled the girl towards her, and towards the wide open space of the dance floor, placing her hand on the girl’s waist carefully. She didn't pull away. In fact, Kotori could have sworn the girl inched a little closer, blush spreading all over her cheeks and neck. 

Much to the surprise of the indigo-haired girl, Kotori didn't stumble in the slightest; her footsteps were predetermined and firm, and the way those fingers loosely lay upon her waist did not feel like the touch of a drunk person. She gazed up into her eyes, searching for an explanation in the caramel depths as all the colour around her blurred, and spun, and twirled into a kaleidoscope of people and objects that were not important right now.

And in those hazel irises, Umi Sonoda found a hint of laughter and mischief.

Kotori smiled, pulling the girl closer, whispering into her ear, “May I have your name, miss?” The words were lyrical and soft, and the answer required no effort to show itself.

“I- what? Um-Umi, and who are you?” 

The scent of a sweet, floral perfume; light, coffee coloured locks; pink lips curled into a coy smile; the girl in front of her removed her hand from Umi’s for a second, putting a finger to her lips and winking. “That's a secret for now, Miss Umi.”

“What do you mean, a secret?” Umi regained her composure quickly, and immediately stopped the avid gazing at Kotori’s lips. “You asked me to dance, just like that, in front of my guests-”

“I suppose I did ask rather spontaneously; do you prefer plans and schedules, Miss Umi?” Her voice was silk, or maybe sunshine made into sound- no, no, no, Umi had to concentrate, no time for this nonsense!

“Yes, as a matter of fact, I do! And dancing with another girl is, most decidedly-”

“You're very cute when you're flustered, Miss Umi. And I see- in that case, why don't we make some plans right now? Meet me on the roof in ten minutes, Miss.”

The last thing Umi saw before everything went dark was a pair of very mischievous golden-brown eyes.

There were a few shouts, and a lot of confusion as guests bumped into one another in the dark, before a bright candle was lit in front a lady with flowing, royal purple hair.

“Please, dear guests, calm down- everything will be alright! This is just a minor spirit, one that is easy to appease!” 

There was a gasp from one end of the hall in the quiet crowd, as someone said “Madame Mystique!” The murmur spread around fast- Madame Mystique, Madame Mystique, Madame Mystique…

There was an awful, drawn out screech.

And everyone screamed, panicking, kicking and running blindly, before-

“Stop, stop! No one move- the spirit grows agitated in panicked environments! Please, I will get rid of it quickly, I just need a volunteer to act as a medium- you there! Lady with the blonde hair! Come over here please, I sense a small amount of spiritual power in you, large enough to work-”

Eli awkwardly made her way to Nozomi, being pushed by the flow of the crowd. They quietened down again, some almost holding their breath. After being jostled and shoved this way and that, when she finally got to the turquoise-eyed maiden, she stood with her back to her.

Gently, Eli felt her hair being brushed back, and a blindfold was slipped onto her face. “Do it just like we rehearsed.” Nozomi’s breath was hot on her ear, and she shivered.

“Come, O Spirit,” Nozomi cried, “Come into this vessel! O Great Spirit, allow us, unworthy of thy voice, to hear thy words-”

A whole row of people shivered and gasped as something cold and fast flitted through the air around them.

_“But how will we make it seem as if there's a real spirit?” Kotori asked._

_Nico snapped her fingers. “I got it!” She exclaimed. “Let's open the french doors at the back, and let the guests taste the magical power of the great-”_

_“Draft?” Maki asked._

_Nico sighed, defeated. “Yeah.”_

“Come, O Spirit-”

Umi wrapped her arms around her, trying to hug herself- a spirit, in her father’s Casino? It was a hoax. It had to be. But why was it so cold in the hall, all of a sudden? What was it that she felt touch her arm, more solid than a breeze yet less solid than a winter gale?

She reached for the locket that always hung around her neck. It always made her feel safe, no matter what was going on- she traced the familiar shape of the… warm metal? 

Umi took the locket with both hands and squinted in the darkness. That was not her locket.

She felt like screaming.

There was a series of shrieks and yells as the blonde lady’s head almost snapped to the side, and she jerked unnaturally. “O Great and Powerful Spirit,” Madame Mystique continued. “Why have thou graced us mortals with thy presence tonight?”

“I have grown tired of all this frolicking and merry-making upon mine resting place!” 

More shrieks of horror. The voice that came out of the lady’s mouth was guttural and rough, cracking and deep, unlike anything and everything a human voice should sound like. 

_“How do I make my voice sound different from usual?” Eli asked. “The guests will hardly believe it if a century old spirit sounds like a young lady.”_

_“You're banned from speaking from now on until our performance, Eli. Sorry, we can't think of another way.”_

_Eli took in a deep, deep, deep breath, urging herself not to kick something._

“Thou fools have filled thy selves with food and drink too long, getting drunk on thy happiness!”

“O Great and Powerful Spirit, how may we redeem ourselves in thy benevolent, all-seeing eyes?”

Umi fiddled with the fake locket, prying it open, and out fell a single slip of paper.

“Take thy own merriness and shove it somewhere else, you curs! Disturbers of the peace!” The ancient voice rumbled with uncontrolled rage, and many guests screamed.

Umi picked up the piece of paper, bringing it up to her nose. 

“O Great Spirit, would thou be appeased if we were to present an offering to you?” Nozomi reached for the seals hidden in a secret pocket in her dress.

“Offerings are meaningless to one who cares not about things!” 

‘Sorry~ xoxo’, along with a doodle of a locket and a ring- Umi felt her right hand, and indeed, the ring was gone too- and a small picture of a…? Cow, maybe?

“O Great Spirit, would thou be appeased if we toasted your memory?”

“More drink, and drink, and drink! You mortals are all the same, thinking of nothing but food and drink!” 

Wait, no- maybe it was a horse? Or a really bad donkey?

“O Great Spirit, would thou be appeased if we were to praise thy memory, to speak of it to all the world, and let your awe inspiring image decorate the finest of our shrines?”

The raspy, loud voice of the spirit paused, as if in thought. 

Ohhh, is that a llama? 

“I am feeling generous this night!” It roared, the sound like thousands of doors being slammed by drafts. “I shall accept thy modest request, ye pitiful mortals. But mark mine words- if the news of my existence will not spread by the appearance of the new moon in seven nights’ time, I shall wage upon you a terrible fate!”

Nozomi pressed a seal onto Eli’s forehead. “So be it!” She exclaimed, “We shall talk on your memory for as long as we have breath in our lungs!” 

_“Rin has a question!”_

_“Go ahead, Rin.”_

_“Shouldn't we make this show extra flashy by lighting some of that thing Maki told us about?”_

_“Magnesium oxide?”_

_“Magnyasium oxide!”_

There was a surge of bright, blue light around the blonde lady, and everyone gasped, covering their eyes. And then, one by one, the lamps flickered back on, the velvet blackness giving way to soft, yellow light. The hall seemed warm again.

A sea of clapping and wolf whistles emerged from the crowd, yet even as everyone looked up and scanned the crowd, both Madame Mystique and the blonde lady were gone. The cheering gradually faded away, giving way to excited chatter.

And of course, to Umi’s disappointment and annoyance (but mostly annoyance, of course) the cocoa-haired girl with whom she had danced with had disappeared as well. 

_“So, after the performnyance, everyone will meet up…?”_

_“On the roof of the Casino, Rin-chan,” Hanayo supplied._

_“We'll need to be quick, we'll only have a few seconds before the lights turn on,” Eli explained. “We cannot loiter.”_

The roof… As the rest of the guests, mostly dazed and a little bit too drunk to fully process what had occurred, continued to dance and play cards, Umi Sonoda dutifully made her way up the stairs, clutching the fake locket and note in her hand.

Meet me at the roof in ten minutes. The fact that the girl she danced with knew that something was going to happen was no coincidence- there had to be some trail of facts she could latch onto. There had been absolutely no exorcism taking place tonight. The Sonoda Casino did not house any spirits. It was a hoax. And a really bad one, at that- Umi had cringed fifty times too many during their painfully grammatically incorrect Elizabethan English drama.

Spirits weren't real.

The roof of the Casino was dark, and littered with many sets of chimneys, but it was not empty- voices drifted across the dry night air.

“Makiiii, I had no idea you suffered from stage fright! Why didn't you tell us?”

“That wasn't stage fright! My awful piano playing was entirely your fault!”

“My fault? You were the one playing the piano, weren't you? Was Nico’s charm and smile enough to distract you from-”

“You're such a child, you know that? It's your fault because you couldn't keep your hands to yourself and had to ooze all over the host!” 

“Wha-”

“Ssshhh, she's coming, she's coming!”

Umi peered around one set of chimneys in particular, and was greeted with a familiar smile.

“Honoka?!” 

Blue eyes full of glee, Honoka passed Umi her locket, pooling its chain in her palm. “Here you go, first hostage returned,” she said. 

“Honoka, what is the meaning of this?! How did you-” Umi caught sight of six other silhouettes in the moonlight. “Oh no. No. Honoka, we've talked abou-”

“Second hostage,” Honoka commanded, winking at Umi. 

Umi felt a tap on her shoulder, and she turned around to see the girl with eyes like the last rays of summer.

She was down on one knee, holding her own ring up to her, smiling. 

“H-H-How? W-W-W-Why? I- no, this is… This is so unlawful!” 

“Maybe,” She giggled. “Would you like to be unlawful and completely out of line together?” 

Umi stared down at the girl. 

This evening had been a disaster- from the spotty piano performance to the supposed exorcism of a minor spirit, nothing had gone like she wanted it to. But… perhaps it wasn't a bad thing.

Honoka was right. She did need a breath of fresh air in her life.

So she stared down at the girl offering Umi’s own ring up to her, and looked at how the stars and moon were reflected in her eyes, and saw how soft and incredibly beautiful the light of streetlamps was when it glistened on her hair.

“I- yes. I suppose we can be a little unlawful from time to time.”


End file.
